In the wake of controversy over high-profile government contracts, House Speaker Joe Straus on Thursday named a special committee to look at state agency operations. Straus said the Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations would have broad latitude to look at the executive and judicial branches of government. When asked about the troubled […]
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Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams challenged the annual convention of the Texas Association of School Administrators to reduce out-of-school suspensions. “One thing we don’t need more of: We don’t’ need more suspensions of kids outside the classroom,” Williams said, before citing statistics from last school year: 358 school districts with one or more students suspended […]
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Public Policy Polling says its newest survey finds nearly two-thirds of Texans think it is time for Gov. Rick Perry to do something else, while nearly one-third believe he should seek re-election. The poll said 41 percent of Republican primary voters want to nominate Perry for another term, while 47 percent would like to see […]
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Speaker of the House Joe Straus laid out his agenda – roads, water and education – for the 83rd Legislative session Monday as he addressed a group of broadcasters in downtown Austin. Straus stuck to the “serious” issues he has said are facing the state, sticking to infrastructure needs and leaving out other issues some […]
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When President Obama was sworn in Tuesday, he paused as he exited, commenting that he wanted one last look at the crowd on the Mall since he would never experience another Inauguration. After all, the twenty-second amendment to the U.S. Constitution limits presidents to two terms. But Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, apparently hasn’t given up […]
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As the federal government moves forward on its plans to tighten gun restrictions, Texas lawmakers are proposing legislation to expand gun rights in the state. The latest proposal is HB 700 filed Thursday by state Rep. George Lavender, R-Texarkana, that would allow individuals with concealed handgun licenses to carry weapons in plain view on a belt or shoulder […]
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Houston plaintiff’s lawyer Steve Mostyn’s donations to former County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia and to political action committees that support her are dominating the special election race in Senate District 6, newly filed records show. All told, Mostyn, his law firm and his allied political action committees account for well over $200,000 of Garcia’s contributions. Yesterday, […]
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Fifteen state Senators will face voters in 2014, rather than serving a typical four-year term, following the once-a-decade re-election term drawing Wednesday. Due to redistricting, all 30 Senators drew envelopes out of a crystal-bowl revealing whether they would serve a two- or four-year term. Inside the envelopes were numbers 1-31, an odd number resulted in […]
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